A Step-By-Step Guide to Risk Assessment in the Workplace

Wind farms pose a dangerous working condition for every employee who has to be out in the field, so it’s imperative that they are able to assess the risk and put themselves out of harm’s way. Listed below is the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) step-by-step guide on how to assess risk in the workplace:

Step 1: Inform the employees about those hazards

There are five main types of hazards in any workplace: physical, mental, chemical, biological, and radioactive. These five different types of hazards require different approaches and the employees need to be informed of them ahead of time so that they can follow the right protocol for those specific threats.

Step 2: Consider the risk factors ahead of time

Once the workers are aware of the threats, they also need to know who exactly is at risk of them when working. This will allow them to be more cautious around those environments so that they don’t expose themselves to the risk of injury.

For example, if they have to work at heights, they will need to wear harness straps, non-slip boots, and protective gears at all times to ensure that they don’t put themselves at risk of a slip-and-fall. On the other hand, if the workers have to work closely with the power generator, they will have to be aware of the risk of electrocution and dangerous fumes.

Therefore, they will need to make sure that they wear rubber gloves and a gas mask to help prevent themselves from those dangers.

It is the responsibility of the employees to provide the workers with those tools to ensure their safety. Additionally, it’s also imperative that the employers manage the work schedule according to the readiness of the employees to minimise the risk of injury.

For example, if a worker is currently on a medication that hinders their mental capability, you will need to switch them out for a more prepared worker to guarantee their safety.

Step 3: Assess the immediate threats and take action

If there is an immediate threat in the vicinity, the worker must be able to read the situation and take action right away. It’s not possible to expect this from the workers if they aren’t trained to know the basic protocols of these processes.

Step 4: Keep track of the work process

Every employee needs to record their work in the logbook, along with every potential threat that they see so that the safety team can take action to minimise that possibility. This is why it’s so essential that every worker record their work, as it will help the employer to see that their performance and concerns that can be addressed.

Step 5: Review the risk assessment and make proper adjustments

The assessment team should hold a meeting every month or so to go through work records to see how those risks can be minimised. Therefore, the work process should always be improved on and optimised to ensure that everyone can remain safe at all times.

If you’re looking to sign up for a health & safety course in Glasgow, NRS Training Service is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.